Still the Night
by Dean's Little Secret
Summary: Sequel to Miles to go Before I Sleep. Stiles still can't sleep and apparently neither can Derek or maybe he doesn't need to because he's 'The Alpha now'. Either way they are both grocery shopping at an odd hour and no one really wants to spend the night alone. Pre-slash


**Not Beta'd, mistakes my own.**

**Stile the Night**

Its eleven o'clock on a Sunday evening, it's a quiet night in Beacon Hills, no crazy supernatural creatures causing chaos, no teenager's throwing wild parties, there isn't even a slight breeze. It's too quiet some might say. Even the Night Owl is mostly empty, apart from two open registers and about three people wondering around the moderately large grocery store. Well kind of grocery store, it has your basic things and it also has an espresso machine that actually has alright coffee, if you want to pay four bucks a cup. Which Stiles does, because he can't sleep again or doesn't want to sleep, he's brain won't shut off or even go to standby it just keeps on churning out thought after thought until he's heads a jumbled mess.

And ok, this might be starting to be problem, this whole not being able to sleep thing, but there are so many other (more important) problems that need to be resolved before Stiles can deal with this tiny, none life threatening issue. So for now he'll wonder around this store, drinking coffee and buy milk, bread and eggs and all those other things that they're out of. Like toothpaste, he's dad had run out this morning and had to squeeze the very last drops out of Stiles's.

So he'll buy food and goods and then he'll go home, put it all away then he'll stare at his ceiling for the rest of the night because he is severely grounded and can't go anywhere. He's not sure how anyone can actually be severely grounded but he is and the only reason he's out now is because they really needed some milk and toothpaste and his dads not good at the whole shopping thing. Ok, Stiles is sure his dad could mange but there are lots of temptations in a grocery store, like the chocolate muffins Stiles is currently reaching for.

A small treat wouldn't hurt his dad. He deserves it, you know, since Stiles got him fired. And that's reason number one on his lists of reasons for not being able to sleep tonight. He got his dad fired; yeah it was because he was trying to protect people, to _save_ people from the Kanima aka Jackson but he couldn't exactly tell his father that or the police that a giant were-lizard was killing people. A giant were-lizard named Jackson Whittemore, who by the way, didn't believe he was killing people and then just had to go and get a restraining order put on Scott and himself.

Stiles has to stop and take a breath, all these racing thoughts are going to send him mad one day. Exhaling slowly, Stiles scans the isle, its empty and quiet, nothing but walls of canned food to keep him company. Draining his coffee Stiles chucks the styrofoam mug into his trolley then keeps going, he doesn't really needed tin corn or carrot, the fresh stuff is better for you anyway. Rounding the corner, already starting to sink into a spiral of thoughts he doesn't see the man walking in front of him, its only when he's actually ran into him does he realise that someone is there.

It's a good thing it's just Derek, some of the people that do late night shopping are cranky and crazy, not that the alpha looks too happy about being ran into. But he'll take Derek over some cranky old man or an off their face teen. "Sorry, didn't see you" Stiles mumbled, manoeuvring the trolley away from the sourwolf. He was just standing there, scowling. Typical. "Hey, are you stalking me? Because this is the second time we've bumped into each other late at night and I gotta tell ya, it's kinda stalk-ish."

Derek growled and rolled his eyes, which was a good sign, he wasn't too pissed off. "This is the only place open all night and with hunters on my tail I can't exactly go out at day."

"Do you even have a tail?" Stiles asked, reaching towards his muffins, he could use a snack.

Derek growled at him.

"Kidding, God, take a joke."

Derek sighed wearily, adjusting his basket, which Stiles just noticed he had, it was kinda empty, except for some apples and a case of beer, an odd mix really. "Muffin?" Stiles offered.

"No, thanks" Derek replied looking over his shoulder briefly before returning those deep blue eyes to Stiles's rich brown ones. "Can't sleep again, huh?"

"Something like that" the teen said around his mouthful of chocolate goodness.

They fall into this awkward but kind of comforting silence after that. Stiles followed Derek around the shop while the Alpha finished of his late night food shopping; he bought even less then Stiles, which seemed kind of odd since didn't he have like three were-pups to feed? Though Stiles is pretty sure Erica still had a home and a loving family and the same for Boyd, well maybe, so that left Isaac, who didn't have anyone apart from Derek and the rest of his ragtag pack.

It was all very strange, werewolves and a Kanima with a master who was out for revenge because he was killed, yes his life was all very strange and all those normal days of playing video games with Scott and worrying about school seemed so far away. Sometimes Stiles wished he never went out to the woods that fateful night that Scott was bitten by Peter Hale; if he wasn't so stupid and reckless and actually did what he was told none of them would be in this situation.

This mess of situation that had almost gotten them killed and hey, probably would get them killed because life wasn't fair. If he never went into those woods everything would be ok right now. But everything isn't, it's so far from ok and Stiles is pretending that he's fine and that they'll work this out just like before but he's growing doubtful. Everything is falling apart faster than he can keep it together and if Derek or the Argents don't stop the Kanima it will probably stop them. And by that he means kill them, most likely painfully.

Curse this town and its stupid werewolf infestation.

Derek brushed past Stiles, had he stopped walking? He'd been so lost in his maze of thoughts that he didn't even realise they were at the checkout, some young girl scanning Derek's few items while she flirted shameless with him. Derek didn't really seem interested but he smiled, that dazzling smile that Stiles likes even though it's fake, it faded as quickly as came though and Derek is looking at Stiles, he is waiting for him.

This is the reason Stiles is glad he walked into the woods that night, even if it means monsters and hunters and a restraining order, he gets Derek Hale in his life. It's all kinds of wrong, Stiles knows that, there's the age difference and Derek is a werewolf and Stiles is terribly, _terribly_ human not to mention a whole list of reasons why this wouldn't work but there's even a bigger list of why it would.

Stiles had the biggest battle with himself while he was working out his feeling for the wolf, he lost two nights sleep, but when the sun rose on the second morning it hit him, like a train. He was falling in love with the Alpha and there wasn't anything he could do about it. So when he regrets going into the forest he lets himself become submerged in thoughts of Derek, bathes in the feelings that are so powerful they terrify him.

Of course it's not like Derek knows how he feels. Because when they are together he doesn't let himself feel for the wolf or think about the time Derek wrapped him up in his jacket and brought him home. He keeps his mind on the task and Derek stays in the dark. He's sure the wolf could smell it on him if he let his thoughts stray, even for the smallest of seconds and keeping his thoughts from straying is a tremendously hard task but somehow he's almost perfected it when it comes to this.

But if they do stray the teen will take a step back or move a good few feet away, in hopes it's enough to hide them from the wolf. Like now for example, he's lagging a good few feet behind Derek as they make their way towards the car park. They'll say goodbye and go their separate ways and Stiles can think and fantasise about Derek Hale all he wants, in the safety and comfort of his own room. Which he will be spending a lot of time in, cause you know, grounded.

"So do you wanna do something?"

Stiles stopped dead in tracks, nearly losing the paper bag he held snug to his chest. "Ah... like what?"

Derek shrugged "anything really, I just don't want you to have to spend the night alone when you can't sleep."

Such a softy-wolf, Stiles totally called it. "Well my dad's home and I'm severely grounded so... yeah."

"I'm sure that hasn't stopped you before."

Stiles sighed "This time is different."

"Is this about your dad getting fired?"

The teens head jerked up, how did even Derek know about that? Scott probably, since he was pack now, whatever that meant. "Well it's..." he trailed off; he really didn't feel like having a heart-to-heart with Derek in a car park. Also he just didn't want to talk about it or think about it because every time he did the guilt would show up and he was guilty about so much already. "You know, I can totally sneak out, Dad will never know."

Derek smiled at him and it may have made Stiles heart skip a beat or two.

XxX

By the time Stiles gets back from The Night Owl his father is ready in bed, its only quarter past eleven and usually his dad pulls all-nighters but since he is no longer Sheriff he doesn't have to spend every waking hour trying to solve crimes that were committed by were-lizards. And in all honesty his dad needed a good night's rest, hell so did Stiles, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Which is why he put the groceries away ever so quietly; which for Stiles was rather a challenge but he managed, kinda.

He traded carefully up the staircase, casting a glance towards his father's bedroom; the door is a jar, the room completely dark and silent. Satisfied that his father isn't about to come bust him sneaking out his window, in order to go hang out with a werewolf, he creeps towards his bedroom and shuts the door gently. He takes a deep breath, counts to ten then races to the window, already his room is suffocating him, unwanted thoughts swimming to the surface.

The window opens with ease, he slips out carefully, he's done this countless of times but he's a clumsy kind of person so he always takes extra care while sneaking out. It'd be embarrassing if he fell, especially since Derek is standing at the bottom of the tree he is climbing down, just waiting to catch him if he falls. It's rather sweet actually. Though of course, knowing Stiles luck Derek would just let him fall then roll his eyes as he lay dying on the ground. Ok not dying, it's not **that** high and oh look he made it to the ground without embarrassing himself or breaking anything, job well done.

"Practice this before have we?" Derek asked teasingly, which was cute and made Stiles grin. Damn his feelings, stupid sourwolf making him fall in like with him.

"Many, many, many times" Stiles grinned "where's your car?"

"Round the corner" he said turning in heading back towards the front of the house "didn't want to wake the street up."

"If you didn't drive like a maniac you wouldn't wake the street up."

Derek shot a glare over his shoulder, or at least Stiles thinks it was a glare, it's a bit too dark to tell, it was probably a glare. What other response would he get? "I'm surprised my dad hasn't given you a hundred speeding tickets already."

"I'm too fast to catch."

"Oh we're joking again, are we?" Stiles was by his side now, they were out on the street, the lamps giving off enough light to see a small smile playing on Derek's features. "Shall we alert the press?"

"Shut up Stiles."

A few minutes later they are speeding off, Stiles fiddles with the radio for a few seconds before Derek slaps his hand away, sending him a warning glare. Stiles pouts and flops back against the seat, they're not exactly comfortable but neither are the ones in his Jeep so he can't complain. The Black Keys fills the silence between them, Stiles starts drumming his fingers against his thighs in time with the beat and Derek keeps his eyes on the road, which is reassuring, since he's going insanely fast.

The houses disappear, replaced now by towering trees, the night is now only lit by the moon and the Camaro's headlight's that clear the darkness stretching out ahead of them. For the first time since The Rave, and yes it does need capitals, Stiles feels safe, protected. Fatigue over comes him, he can feel his head dropping, his heavy lids straining to stay open, he doesn't fight it though, he needs sleep so, so much. Every time he gets into bed, telling himself that tonight he will sleep, he doesn't; he tosses and turns, he gets up and paces the room and counts the minutes passing by, but sleep doesn't come.

Now it's finally here.

Beaconing him forth into its darkness, let's hope that it's free of monsters.

He lets the darkness take him…

"Stiles! Wake up."

Stiles wakes with a start, a scream dying on his lips as he breaks free of the cobwebs of his nightmare, he lashes out at the hovering face above him but it's fast, too fast and he misses. It's only then does he remember that he's with Derek, not trapped by the Kanima or some other monster of the night. Taking a deep calming breath he glances over at Derek, who's wearing one of his mixed expressions, the one Stiles just can't figure out. So the teen looks passed the Alpha, to the woods outside, its lightening up, night fading to dawn. Holy God he must have slept the night, because the last time he looked at the clock it was midnight now the sky is streaked with colour.

He spent the night with Derek Hale, in his car, in the middle of the woods and oh look Derek had placed his jacket over him, now its draped over his lap instead of wrapped around him. Not knowing what to do, Stiles pulls the jacket up over himself, it's comforting in a way he can't describe and he's still shaky from his nightmare. Finally he looks back to the wolf, who's gazing out at the changing sky. He should really be getting home, if he's dad finds him gone he'll have a heart attack then come back to life and ground Stiles some more.

But he doesn't want to go or move or break the silence but the sun is waiting for no one.

"I… should get home."

"Uh, yeah, yeah, right" the engine roars into life but there they stay.

Stiles counts to ten before speaking "I was having a nightmare, right?"

The wolf nods, gripping the steering wheel tight.

"I'm ok now."

Derek doesn't nod this time, just grips the wheel tighter and Stiles hopes he doesn't crush it. "Derek, you need a steering wheel, so easy up."

He does, letting out a weary sigh. "You sounded… you sounded so afraid… and you wouldn't wake up."

"But I'm wake now, wide awake" to prove his point he grins widely, stifling a yawn. Seriously, he could do with some more sleep but time isn't standing still and he really must be going. Now he sounds like the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Though he's pretty sure he'd be Alice, lost, alone and scared in a world filled with strange and terrifying things. He's so very lost down the rabbit hole. "I need to get home Derek; Dad will totally have a fit if he finds me gone."

With a huff Derek shifts the car into first gear and they're off, the woods fading into homes, were people are waking up, ready to start a new day. It'd be nice to be one of those people, the ordinary people who don't know about werewolves, Kanima's and hunters or the fear and nightmares that knowledge can bring. He's not one of them anymore, he's a human trapped in a wold full of monsters and they are chasing him, haunting him and it's too late to escape.

As he clings to the leather jacket in his lap he lets the thoughts rush away, for now he's safe, he's rested and he's protected.

Until night falls again…


End file.
